Main Drain vs Skimmers balancing

[Mikekantro]

I have a valve on my main drain as well as the 2 skimmers in my pool that go into the same pumps. How should I balance the skimmers vs the main drain?

I noticed that the heater isn’t heat the deeper end as well.

 

[Richard320]

I have mine set so the main drain flows just enough that you can see a difference in the turbulence in the skimmer. I only have one skimmer, but if I had two, I'd try to get them equal. Unless one is downwind and gets a bigger debris load. then give it more.

 

[RedBluePool]

Just get some skimmer equalizers to put in your skimmers. They will equalize the flow for you.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Some folks want the skimmer to draw more powerfully than the main drain so they can keep the pool's surface cleaned well. If you tend to get a lot of surface debris that is a great option.

Others, like me, just keep them both open equally.

One time Skippy<bless his heart > pulled our old pressure cleaner out of the pool so he could exercise and left it there overnight. What he had forgotten was that when the timer started the pump up again all that water going thru the cleaner was now sitting on the side of the pool! By the time I woke up it had drained the pool down below the skimmer.... eeek! My main drain kept the pump filled with water and saved me from a dry seized pump. <whew!>

Back when we hand vacuumed we would turn the main drain down to get more pull from the skimmer.

So if you don't have a Skippy to worry about and need to protect the pool, you can do it however you like.

Maddie